Our Pet Diabound
by Scylandra
Summary: Ryou Bakura is cast into the Millennium World and is on his own. Until he meets a dark stranger who becomes his saving grace. Was a one shot; now it's not. RyouxThiefKing. Holy crap, there might be yaoi. Short chapters.
1. Our Pet Diabound

A/N: A one shot. Congrats, I finally cracked away from my main story .O Pretty desperate.

Anywho, this picks off right as the Millennium World arc takes places. Yami Bakura - "Bakura" - decides to throw good Bakura - "Ryou" - in with the melting pot of chaos.

This is Ryou's story.

* * *

"Oh, why the hell not?" Yami Bakura laughed as he dragged Bakura into the Millennium World. Once they reached the fake skies of the game, he threw him down into the fake gravity.

The young boy fell and fell fast - his body unharmed as he fell into the busy street of Egypt. He looked up to the sky, bewildered. "Where.. where am I?" He did not get a reply. The former spirit that dwelled in his body _somehow_ flew off and left him all alone.

Alone in the busy street of Egypt.

"Hey - move it, kid!"

"Watch out!"

"I'm _walkin'_ here!"

"What the hell are you doing in the middle of the street?!"

The voices. So many voices. He was shell-shocked. How did he end up in Egypt?

"'Ey. You." A strange, yet somewhat familiar voice stuck out and brought him back to his senses. He looked in the direction he believed it came from.

_No way..._

A figure stood still as countless dirty civilians passed in front of him. He was tall, lean, and carried himself in an arrogant posture. "Yeah, _you_. Get out of the streets - you'll be trampled in seconds."

Speechless, Ryou continued to stare at the white-haired thief that stood before him. It wasn't because of all the gold draped around his arms and waist - it was _those eyes_. "I... know you."

"Look out!"

"Hey, kid!"

"Someone help!"

A speedy chariot with two horses were within feet of smashing poor Ryou into the ground.

"Ah!" he cried out, now realizing the doom that approached him with deadly force. Suddenly, He was pushed out of the way; tumbling into more dirt. The pain of the sudden twist of joints and the grains of sand clogging his lungs and watering his eyes was almost enough to make him cry.

But, someone held him. It was a comforting embrace - a certain warmth that he knew wasn't hostile or had ill intentions.

Arms wrapped around his side, he looked up at his savior.

_Those eyes._

"Dammit, guy, what did I just tell you?"

Ryou wiped the sand out of his irritated eyes and blinked, once again confused. "Who are you?"

The thief sighed, "Not the brightest oaf, are ya'? Here; stand." He helped the boy up to his feet, dusting off his shoulders with a couple of swipes. "I'm just a lowly king."

"Thank you," he winced a bit, grabbing his own arm at the sore muscle, "I'm Ryou."

"Whatever. Just stay off the road, guy."

"Wait! Where are you going?" Ryou held out a hand to stop his savior from walking away.

"To the bar - where else?"

"Can I.. come with you?"

The thief paused, intrigued, but rather annoyed. He shrugged without turning around or slowing his pace. Ryou strugged to keep up with the gold-cladded man and follow him into the closest bar.

As soon as he sat down at an empty table, the thief threw out a gold bracelet on the table. "Here's your pay! Now bring me food! Lots of it." Ryou sat across from him, slightly awkward at the fellows that surrounded him at other tables. He could feel their peircing eyes sizing him up. His fears were temporarily interrupted by his company. "So tell me, why do you dress funny?"

"Huh? Oh. I don't know. This is just what I wear."

"Hmph. You still look funny." He shrugged it off and sulked with shifty eyes.

"Ahh!" Ryou screamed in horror, pointing just slightly above the head of the thief.

"What? What? Stop pointing!" He slapped his hand down with a stern look of disgust. "Oh. _Him_." He pointed behind him at what looked like to be a winged devil with a serpent's tail. "Diabound."

"D-d-diabound?" Ryou coward at the sight of the abomination, unsure if it was friendly, natural, real, or even a sick joke.

"Yeah. He's my Ka."

"_Ka_?"

"Pfft. You don't even know _that_? Where are you from, guy?"

Before Ryou could answer, Diabound left the side of his master and approached Ryou. "Gahhhh!"

"Stop screaming! No one else can see him - you look like an idiot."

"S-s-sorry. I've never.. he's not.. can't be.. what is.."

"Spit it out." He was getting more and more irritated.

Ryou could smell Diabound's foul breath as he got face-to-face with the boy. "Heh. Good little demon! _Nice_ demon." Ryou tried to coo to it as he nervously patted him on the head a couple of times. Diabound took a liking to this and forged a smile. "Eh? What did you say to my Ka?"

"Aww! I think he likes me!" Ryou continued to pat Diabound on the head until finally withdrawing to scoot back a bit and observe the creature. "What is he? Your pet or something?"

"He's _not_ my _pet_!"

"He's kind of cute if you look past the fangs and muscle." Ryou smiled for the first time since he got here.

"Ugh! Where's the food?! ... HEY! What are you doin'?!"

"I'm _playing_ with Diabound, of course." Ryou had the demon bickering with it's own tail until it finally started to chase it. "Haha, how adorable! It is just like a puppy."

"Stop that", the thief said without hesitation and a solemn look.

Ryou tossed a stray twig he plucked up from nearby his chair and tossed it out of the door. It probably hit someone on the way out, but Diabound continued to look with anxious energy at the boy. "Go _get it_! Ah-ha! Good boy!" The demon had flown out the door and brought back the stick, giving it back ever-so loyaly. "Go get it, boy!" Ryou threw it a second time, but the cobra tail had caught the twig within seconds after it was tossed and coughed it onto the boy's lap. Most people didn't notice the twig always hovering back to the boy; nor notice that he was yelling to what appeared to be absolutely _nothing_.

"Stop that", he repeated again, with more anger and stress in the undertone.

"Oh. Sorry. I think he likes it, though."

"Leave my Ka alone."

"I didn't realize it bothered you."

Silence.

"Here you go, sir! The best food in the house!" A waiter brought several plates of meat and bread.

Ryou was almost disgusted at the quick rate of how his company devoured several plates at once as more were being brought to the table. He got up and walked with Diabound out of the building to play somewhere in the open streets.

Several brutes and thuggish men were overcrowding the area, watching the hungry thief. Most, if not all, stood up and encircled him.

"Hey, nice meal."

"Yeah, looks like you gots plenty of money on ya."

"And gold to spare.."

"_Hey... _isn't he thatthief_?_"

"Yeah, let's kill him..."

"Hey! Close the door so no one comes in!"

The thief, not even realizing that Ryou had left with Diabound, glared at the men. Suddenly, he broke into a wicked grin, "H-heh heh... Want to die?"

"Huh?"

"What'd he say?"

And then he realized his error. They charged at him, fists clenched and evil intentions bared at his existence.

Ryou, at the time, was safely rubbing Diabound's belly with a happy little grin on his face.

His savior, as did before, tumbled out of the bar, scooped up Ryou in his arms, and fled down the streets. "Dammit! What the hell are you doing to me, guy? Why is my Diabound hanging around you?!"

"He likes me better, I guess. Is that so wrong?"

"Uh - _yeah_."

Ryou, in the midst of this flight into several winding alleys to escape their pursuers, just noticed the bruised and beaten down thief. "Oh no! Your face! What _happened?!_"

"Long story. No time. Shut up, guy and make sure that Diabound is with you."

"Alright. Yeah, he's following us."

"Since he won't listen to _me_, _you_ get him to kill those guys."

"What!? No! I can't make anyone kill anyone."

"Do it!"

"No!"

He continued to run while carrying the youth, overtime losing his stamina. "I can't.. keep running." Ryou could hear the pain behind the voice. That made sense - he'd get tired, too, if he had to outrun someone while carrying another person.

Ryou whistled, motioning with his hand to beckon Diabound to come closer to him. "Make them stop following us!" The monster halted it's flight and awaited the mob. As soon as they were within reach, the cobra tail whiplashed them backwards and into buildings within the narrow corridors. As soon as he felt satisfied that they were knocked out, he flew ahead and caught up with the boy and the thief.

"Good boy!" Ryou said, happily.

The thief sighed, slightly pissed off at his current situation. The cobra layed a sloppy wet lick on Ryou, pleased with it's master. Upon seeing it, the thief couldn't help but laugh. "You're not bad, guy, but you are in desperate need of a spine."


	2. Tag

A/N: So by the overwhelming flood of emails telling me that people actually _liked_ this.. I'm going to go ahead and turn it into something a little more than a oneshot. Congrats.

* * *

"Tag! You're it!"

"Wait - what?"

Little Ryou ran past the thief in thef shadow of Diabound. Their loyal Ka concealed them amongst the guards as they trespassed towards a towering obelisk. Who knew that it would be so easy? Who knew that Ryou's millennium ring could give the Ka the power to hide in plain sight? On that note, it felt nice to not have to wear that burdening ring. He considered asking the thief where he got it, but there was no reason to ruin the moment.

"I _said_ you're it! Come catch me - if you can!"

"Feh, just what do you think you're doin'? I told you to go home, already!"

"But I don't know where that is. Hahaha, you'll have to do better than that!" Ryou shouted back, laughing as the momentum of wind tickled his cheeks on this cool night.

"No! Diabound! I summon you to _my side_! Obey me!"

The monster hovered around the both of them, but more attentive to the young Ryou. Protective, yes, but more so attracted to his spirit; his _own_ spirit, not some parasite.

The guards felt a soft chill brush past each of them - none so vocal about it until each of them started giving awkward glances of the uncertainty that haunted the air. "You feel that?" "Yeah." "Was that just me?"

The boy giggled aloud again, but was not heard because of the pet guardian. "Gotta keep up!" He ran so far ahead that Diabound's ability followed and left the thief behind. For a moment, the thief was exposed to the guard. "Ah!"

"Whoah! Is that the Thief King?"  
"Yeah! Get him!"  
"Where did he come from?"  
"Who cares?"

"Diabound!" He cried out in terror, panic-stricken to find his Ka. Ryou turned to look back at his playmate, puzzled that he stopped. Before he knew it, Diabound flew back to conceal his master. "Eek!"

"Whoah! Is _that_ the Thief King?"  
"No way! Can he teleport?"  
"Wasn't he over there just a minute ago?"  
"His clothes.."

"Yikes!"

All he knew was gone. He was left alone once again. Abandoned by his friends and in more trouble than he could handle. He clenched his fists with his shoulders tightly raised in defense. Eyes closed, Ryou was ready to accept that his game was over.

But just before the guards could get to him, they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Not again!"  
"Where'd he go this time?"

He peeked open one eye, then suddenly with both in shock. Standing tall and confident was the thief clad in red, a wicked grin stretched across his face. With Diabound surrounding them both and keeping an eye out for danger, the thief slowly leaned over. Ryou stood his ground and looked into his eyes. The thief leaned his head close to Ryou's face and then whispered softly into his ear.

"Tag. You're it."

He dashed off quickly, Diabound keeping pace; leaving little Ryou behind and slightly disturbed.

"Yo! There he is!"  
"He keeps appearing out of no where!"  
"Get him!"

"Ahhh!" He ran quickly after his newfound companions, slowly learning that it was still ok to treat this as a game.


	3. Jump

"A beautiful escape, if I do say so for myself." The thief looked over his shoulder to see the poor boy doubled over and panting. For a moment, they both made eye contact and laughed after an awkward second. Ryou was in no hurry to get into trouble, but somehow he felt safe around this guy. "Not in shape either, huh? Are you prepared to keep goin'?"

Safe and slightly offended.

"No," he coughed and shook his head. Oh how he hoped that his convulsing body movement spoke louder than he could ever attempt while his lungs were on fire. The Thief King shifted and stole his gaze to the stars, "That's too bad, but I don't have the time to stop and nurse you back to health." He winked at the boy but saw his head hung low, still panting. Shrugging it off, he pointed to the corner of the wall and grabbed Ryou's shoulder, pulling him towards it. "Here; rest here. Quiet your breath and wait for my return." With his shut tight in hopes to aid his stealth, Ryou slid down against the wall in his little nook and silently nodded. By the time he opened his eyes to thank him, the thief was gone. Ryou looked nervously around; listening to the guards and all of their taunts to provoke the intruders to reveal themselves. Ryou sighed - probably relief - and leaned his head against the wall. _I wonder.. how everyone else is doing..._

He awoke from a fit of a nightmare. His legs were terribly numbs and stung abnormally painfully when he tried to unfurl them. The young boy paused, waiting for a sound - any sound.

None came.

He was alone, truly. Not even the guards tried to strike up a conversation among them. Surprisingly, he was still here; still not found. Was anyone even _looking_ for him? Was his companion captured? And what of Diabound?

As he was prepared to stand and investigate, a large BOOM crash landed in his ears. The sudden pulse of waves dared to shake him off the ground to meet gravity face on - but Ryou caught his balance before he even realized what was happening.

"Woohoo!"

A cocky and arrogant victory cry all-too-familiar for anyways pleasing except for Ryou. The thief was frolicking on the pillar tops, attracting a lot of attention from all the wrong persons. "Bakura!" someone shouted. Ryou was too hopeful for his own good. The thief ran up to him and jumped from his perch, landing in front of the semi-startled boy. "We must hurry, little one!" With that, Ryou and the thief dashed away from the scene of the crime.

"Oh thank goodness, you're alright! I'm so glad your- ACK! What's that?"

"Oh this?" Bakura motioned to his bloodied hand.

Ryou was horrified as he ran, his eyes darting back and forth between themselves to aid his understanding. "You. Why? What the.. Oh my! Oh my! Ohmyohmyohmyohmy! Oh my goodness."

"Breathe, man!" He noticed that his young follower was becoming slower and slower with each moment of thought and recognition of possible murder. "I just.. roughed him up a bit."

Ryou shuddered between every other 'oh my' and was beginning to tug and pull on his face.

He could not stand it any longer - at this rate, they could _caught_. The thief brashly grabbed Ryou's wrist and ignored the reacted "Ouch - HEY!"

"Get ready."

"For what?"

He tugged on the boy's wrist and he leapt down from a ledge - all preplanned by remembering where the guards parked their horses on the lower level of the palace. Ryou, already too late to refuse, stumbled a bit on his jump. In midair, Bakura grabbed the boy in one arm and used the other to swat at the saddled guard - a near perfect landing by his standards.

As the Pharaoh's guards rushed to regain formation from their scattered ambush, the Pharaoh himself turned his attention to the pursued. He watched as several of his men perished within a certain radius of the flight of a thief and his boy. A quick squint to better understand his vision of the boy leads to more confusion. "...Ryou?"

With the invisible Diabound working hard to protect the joined souls of fate, Ryou admired the beast respectively as his guardian within the sheltered arms of his companion. If the ride wasn't in haste or carried through sharp turns and dodges, he could be quite comfortable like this! "Heh heh," the thief looked back at Diabound devouring the helpless guards in their horrified frantic, "looks like we made it. And you're still with me, no less." He grinned at the boy in his arm as he pushed the steed to run faster. Ryou quickly averted his gaze, rather embarrassed to even think that the thief meant it in the way he wanted to hear it. Still, the rough breeze against his face felt refreshing - as if a newfound freedom was slapping him in the face; 'this is where you belong' the wind called to him in the cold night.

"I won't let you escape, Bakura!"

The words stung him like the harsh rays of the sun. A dread washed over the boy as both he and Bakura looked behind to hear the calling that they already knew was the Pharaoh. Bakura grinned wickedly and Ryou's stomach turned. "The Pharaoh!" He whispered behind clenched teeth.

Before they knew it, a god was upon them. Ryou looked in terror over Bakura's shoulder, eyes widening with every passing second as the holy god Osiris flew after them. Hologram? No. This was very real.

"Shit."


End file.
